For many years, young people from Ukraine and Russia have come to the United States on BridgeUSA programs sponsored by InterExchange. Through person to person exchanges, these young people helped advance the vision of the Fulbright Hays Act of 1961 by building enduring bridges of friendship between people and nations.
The events unfolding in Ukraine do not represent the world that young people want or deserve. Instead, they stand in sharp contrast to the goals of mutual understanding and peaceful relations that exchange programs seek to accomplish.
Our thoughts are for the safety and wellbeing of our alumni, the families and loved ones of our current participants, and the many people who have worked on behalf of these important programs in Ukraine and Russia. May there be a swift end to the aggression, and an immediate return to peace and mutual understanding.
